Seaweed Aquaculture Graduate Intern

Overview

Put your passion and skills to work for the planet. Climate change is the most urgent issue of our time, and we need people like you to help us build a vital Earth — for everyone.

We’re Environmental Defense Fund, a fast-paced nonprofit with a growing staff of more than 1,000 people in nearly 30 countries. We deliver game-changing solutions that cut climate pollution and strengthen people’s ability to thrive despite the effects climate change is already having. We work wherever we can have the most impact, from local communities to top companies to governments worldwide, and even in space.

Our culture, values and commitment to diversity make EDF an exciting and meaningful place to work. Every job here makes a difference. Won’t you join us?

Responsibilities

Program/Department Overview

Healthy oceans are the lifeblood of our planet. But they’re in peril – from climate change, overfishing, habitat destruction and other threats. That’s why EDF’s People & Nature Team, through its Climate Resilient Fisheries and Oceans initiative, is working to safeguard the oceans and protect nature, while feeding the planet, creating more secure livelihoods and bolstering more equitable societies for human well-being. One of the greatest threats to the oceans is overfishing, which is why our dedicated team of scientists, economists and fishery management experts are collaborating with partners around the globe to make sustainable ocean-based foods the norm. Through our programs in the U.S., Latin America and Asia Pacific, we draw on strong science and economic principles to advance sustainable fishing practices, forward-looking policies and innovative tools that support the health of our oceans and the people who depend on them for food and their livelihoods.

Seaweed products have the potential to reduce carbon emissions from greenhouse gas-intensive products and provide large climate benefits. Simultaneously, seaweed aquaculture provides food security and livelihood opportunities for coastal communities worldwide. Global demand for seaweed aquaculture is rapidly increasing, yet many seaweed farms are small-scale operations in data-poor regions of the world with low capacity for tracking the footprint of aquaculture operations. Carbon credit verification organizations such as Verra and Gold Standard have expressed the need for development of protocols to measure and verify seaweed-related emissions reductions. Achieving this will require robust methods to efficiently monitor farm numbers and spatial extent, which can then be coupled with lifecycle analyses of seaweed products, providing a full picture of seaweed aquaculture’s climate benefits.

Overall Function

The Seaweed Aquaculture Graduate Intern will help develop a machine learning algorithm or other automated method to quantify the number and area of seaweed farms in the Philippines from high-resolution satellite imagery. The intern will report to the Blue Carbon Scientist, and with support and guidance from members of the Ocean Science team and consultants, the intern will build on an ongoing project that creates a typology of seaweed farms for identifying and labeling in satellite imagery.

Key Responsibilities

Tasks will include but are not limited to:

• Compile sources of satellite imagery data for the Philippines, an EDF focal geography
• Create a trainer dataset of known seaweed farms, other aquaculture operations, natural seaweed beds, and open water areas. This may be achieved through spatial analysis or other techniques.
• Develop a machine learning protocol for automated quantification of the number and aerial extent of seaweed farms at proof-of-concept level or higher
• Develop a detailed written record of methods for use in a scientific manuscript
• Gathers data to support lifecycle analysis of seaweed products
• Provide support to team members in advancing goals for climate impacts related to seaweed and other relevant blue carbon opportunities through activities such as attending meetings, compiling data, writing methods documentation, and performing relevant literature searches
• Participate in advancing EDF Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) goals in which people from all backgrounds and experiences feel connected, included, and empowered to address the environmental and organizational challenges in alignment with EDF values.

Qualifications

• Enrolled in/recent graduate of a graduate degree program with coursework in machine learning/artificial intelligence and/or remote sensing.
• Experience with or demonstrated interest in data science, environmental science, aquaculture, biogeochemistry, oceanography, scientific research, or other relevant domain.
• Moderate proficiency in using machine learning/artificial intelligence to detect small features from remotely collected imagery. Experience using multi-band imagery is a bonus.
• Excellent written communication skills.
• Must be well organized, motivated, and detail-oriented.
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work in a team setting and have the ability to work independently when projects are due.
• Demonstrate self-awareness, cultural competency and inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across diverse cultures and backgrounds.
• Demonstrate initiative and problem solving skills.

Location

U.S. Remote.

Term

Spring 2024 (January - May)

Hours

Part-time (18 hr/week) or Full-time (35 hr/week)

Compensation

This internship would involve compensation for work paid at a rate competitive with leading non-profits at $20-22/hr depending on education level.

Application Materials

Interested applicants should attach their cover letter and resume to the EDF application.

Pay Ranges

We offer a strong total rewards package encompassing competitive salary, robust benefits, and professional development opportunities consistent with a modern global organization. We take into account factors such as candidate experience, skills, training, internal team equity and local norms.

The pay range for this role is shown below.

Please note that pay ranges are country specific. As a result, the stated currency is not meant be converted into any other currency.

Minimum Salary

USD $20.00/Hr.

Maximum Salary

USD $22.00/Hr.

EEO Information

Environmental Defense Fund is an equal opportunity employer where an applicant's qualifications are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by law.